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Brantford Bulldogs

Bulldogs' Valiant Comeback Falls Just Short In Loss To Gens

March 9, 2024 - Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Brantford Bulldogs News Release


BRANTFORD, ONTARIO - The Brantford Bulldogs continued their 3-game week at home on Friday night squaring off in a clash with the Oshawa Generals. The marked the 8th and final meeting between these teams with top spot in the Eastern Conference on the line.

The first frame was all Generals, opening the scoring just 0:59 as Connor Lockhart recorded his 23rd of the season, batting a rebound past Matteo Drobac, with Rasmus Kumpulainen and Stuart Rolofs getting the assists on the scramble. Connor Punnet doubled the lead on his 10th of the season at 7:40. Originally called back for goaltender interference on Stuart Rolofs, the Generals challenged and it was overturned by the officials upon review giving the visitors a 2-0 lead. The Generals continued to add to their lead at 9:32, with the play starting in the Generals zone with Dylan Roobroeck finding Beckett Sennecke who is able to find Ethan Toms, flying off the bench and down the slot to score his 3rd of the season and give the Generals a 3-0 lead. Just past the halfway mark of the period on the power-play, Luca D'Amato was able to find Calum Ritchie who then sent the puck to Dylan Roobroeck, alone in the slot, scoring his 20th of the season and 2nd point of the frame at 11:34, giving the Generals a 4-0 lead they held to the first intermission.

The Bulldogs came out a different team in the second period, earning a couple of early opportunities as Zakary Lavoie looked to set up Marek Vanacker, followed by a solo jaunt from Luca Testa but Jacob Oster denied both. At 8:02, the Bulldogs cut into the Generals lead as off a faceoff Marek Vanacker rolled the puck to the left point for Noah Roberts whose shot was deflected on the way through by Patrick Thomas past Oster for his 19th of the season. After a solid penalty kill effort with Owen Protz in the box, the Bulldogs hit power play with their best opportunity coming from Lawson Sherk and Calvin Crombie trying to battle the puck over the goal line in a net front pileup, but Jacob Oster was once again able to parry the attack. While shorthanded, the Generals had their own dangerous opportunity with Rasmus Kumpulainen and Calum Ritchie breaking forward only to be denied by a spectacular split save from Mateo Drobac. In the dying seconds Marek Vanacker turned Ben Danford off the right wing side with a break chance but Oster punched the wrist shot away with the blocker to take a 4-1 lead to the room for the visitors.

Opening the third period, Zakary Lavoie forced Oster into a series of net front stops as the hosts continued to press. At 6:09, the Bulldogs pressure paid off as Luca Testa sent the puck from the right corner to Niko Krmpotic at the middle of the blueline for a drive that Cole Brown is able to tip while cruising through the slot score his 11th of the season pulling the Bulldogs to withing a pair. At 7:16, it became a one goal game as Daniil Sobolev hit Zakary Lavoie with an exit pass, and sprang Marek Vanacker off the left wing where he danced his way through the Generals zone to score his 32nd goal of the season making it a 4-3 game. At 16:03, the Generals bubbled the lead back to two as Beckett Sennecke scored his 23rd of the season off of an incredible deke and pass from Calum Ritchie who was attacking the right side of the slot, creating the short distance 2-on-1. The Bulldogs didn't quit, pulling Drobac for an extra attacker and the gambit paid dividends at 19:33. Marek Vanacker laid the puck back to the middle of the blueline where Patrick Thomas tossed it netfront for Cole Brown to score his 12th of the season and 2nd of the game on a deflection at the right side of the net. That was as close as the Bulldogs would get however as a Beckett Sennecke empty net marker at 19:57 assure the Generals a 6-4 victory.

The Bulldogs close of the weekend at home, Sunday, March 10th, taking on the Peterborough Petes featuring special contenst winning jerseys as part of their Real Canadian Superstore game with puck drop at 4:00pm at the Brantford Civic Centre.

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